I’m literally begging you - help

[Hellllppppmmeeee]

wise Mnetters I’m literally begging you to help me decide my life.

would you take a job that paid 50k decent benefits but in the office 3 days a week. More senior position

or

one that paid 45k one day in the office, more jnr position, so a bit of a career back step.

after tax there is £150 a month in it (not factoring commuting costs)

I’ve had a bad experience with work lately and honestly I’m frozen decision wise

If they were taken away tomorrow which one is your gut more annoyed about?

Well, how much will a three-day commute as opposed to a one-day commute cost?

Also, what benefits come with the more junior role? Is either salary negotiable?

What's the commute like for each job?

Is £150 per month significant for the family finances?

What are the “decent benefits”? And how much would you save by not having to commute two days a week?

Not enough info to comment really. It seems like you're very lucky to have two very good options so I think you may be being a tad dramatic! Talk it over with your family and loved ones and make a decision.

On what you’ve said I’d take the more senior role. Personally I found taking a back step quite frustrating.

However almost more important than anything you’ve mentioned would be the culture of the two workplaces. I know it’s hard to gauge, but which feels like the best fit for you? Do you have a gut feel of where you’d be happiest?

45 is the top end of the job ad, there is though annual pay rises, but that’s the case in both jobs.

both been offered at the top end.

commute maybe £50 a month?

I feel like you already know what you want to do

All else being equal the 50k back in the office job.

I always flip a coin for these sorts of decisions and see if I'm disappointed with the outcome.

Need more information- are there any differences in benefits / bonus? Potential for progression? Managing other people? Have you been into the 3 day / week office and taken the temperature of the atmosphere? How long is the commute and what does it cost? Are you actually earning more after factoring in commute?
a bit of human contact is good thing but you need to work out how functional the office is!

I would choose the one with three days in the office because I don't love working from home.

No one else but you can make this choice. We don't know your life circumstances! For example how long is the commute to the office. What is the office environment like? What is your home working set up like? What is your home/family set up? Where are you in terms of career progression? Etc.

I am being dramatic, dh is working away and I’m all alone in deciding and honestly I’m frozen, started worrying if I make the wrong choice. I’ve been massively burned in my last role, but I know I can do more snr jobs

How important is being in the office vs WFH to you and how important is career progression? I don't mind being in the office and I'm ambitious so obv I'd take the 50k one, but you want a quiet life and to work from home, that wouldn't make sense for you. The choice is pretty clear if you know yourself. Your crisis state might mean you need the junior one with less stress for now, but depends how you 'normally' are i.e. if you take a month off before starting the new job, will you be sufficiently robust again to do the more senior role?

Please tell me then, I’m second guessing myself

I would take the 50k job, I think 3 days in the office is ok.

What fits better with your lifestyle? For me WFH would be the only draw. If WFH didn’t help me out I’d take the one with more seniority and better benefits.

Be very careful about taking a back step in your career. It can be extremely difficult to recover from. Even a series of sideways moves can make it hard to progress in the future. I’d take the more senior job based on what you’ve written, unless you really feel you’d be happier in the more junior one.

I detest WFH so it'd be the office for me. As long as it's not miles and hours away.

Does it help to reframe it that you're in a very good position being able to choose between two decent jobs and that neither will be a big mistake?

Just read the updates. Don’t let fear decide for you. This is a new job, fresh start. As a PP said, can you take time to regroup then get back on the horse?

I’d try to negotiate two days in the office for the senior job. If they agreed, I’d take that.

Benefits are more in the 45k job but it’s not too far off. Glass door says they are both great places to work.

commute to 45 about 90 mins each way.

commute to 50 half an hr each way- but I’ve yet to do it at rush hr, but it’s a 1/3 of the distance

I'm not sure if it's worth the higher paid role if you're not super keen on it. You're not coming out with much more than £1k a year after commuting costs, you're having to work a lot harder for it, and also losing more time getting to and from work.